Clutch.



PATENTED Nov. 27, 1906. C. HIRD.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1906.

llll I- UNITED STATE? rwrniv'r OFFICE.

CHARLES HIRD, OF WOONSOCKET, RHODE. ISLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO COLIN C. BELL, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND ONE-HALF TO GEORGE F. WIL- LETT, OF NORWOOI), MASSACHUSETTS.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Tn (1J/Z whom, t my concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-IIRD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Woonsocket, county of Providence, State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Clutches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel, powerul, and quick-action clutch of simple and durable construction and so constructed and arranged that the actuator of the clutch-controlling means has a given movement always in the same direction to render the clutch operative or inoperative, means bein provided t-o reset the actuator automatical y after each operation thereof.

The various novel features ot'- my invention will be fully described in the subjoined speciiication and particularly pointed out in the following claims. A

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a clutch embodying one form of my invention, the actuator bein y shown in normal osition by full lines and tby dotted lines in t e position temporarily assumed when the operation of the clutch is changed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the clutch a paratus shown in Fig. 1 with the driving an driven members in horizontal section, the clutch being shown as operative. Fi 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3 Sflg. 2, the'member to be driven and its attached shaft being in elevation. Fig. 4 is a artial inner face view of the member to be riven on the line 4 4 Fig. 2, looking toward the left; and Fie. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the clutch inoperative.

I have herein shown the driven member 1 of the clutch as a gear, Figs. 3 and 5, keyed or otherwise made fast on a rotatable shaft 2, the member 1 when rotated transmitting motion to any mechanism desired and not herein shown.

Sockets 3 are formed in the inner face of the driven member to receive plungers 4, having rounded outer ends and projectingat right angles from the face of themember 1,

the bottoms of the plungers seating on springs 5 in the sockets, Fig. 2. Two of such plungers are herein shown diametrically opposite each other, as shown in Fig. 4; but more may be used, if desired, and two pins 6, serving as driving or transmittin abutments, are shown as iixedly secured in the inner face of member 1.

A sleeve 7 loosely surrounds the shaft 2 and is also capable of longitudinal movement thereon, the sleeve being rotatably mounted in a bearing 8, fixedly secured to a bracket 9 or other stationary support, the end of the bearing nearest the driven member bein reduced 1n external diameter at 10, Fig. 3, or a purpose to be described, while a 'lug or projection 1 1 is formed thereon, as herein shown, rounded at its outer end, Figs. 2 and 5.

I have herein shown the driving member of the clutch as a ulley/ 12, (shown in full lines, Fig. 1,) its ub L3 being rotatably mounted on the inner end of sleeve 7 adjacent the driven member, the spring-acting lungers 4 bearing against the face of vthe ub, while pins or abutments 14 are fixedly secured on the Y hub. The said abutments are at the same distance from the center of the shaft 2 as are the abutments 6 referred to hereinbefore, so that when the driving member is moved toward the driven member into operativeposition, as in Figs. 2 and 3, the two sets of abutments will engage and the members 1 and 2 will rotate in unison.

When the springs 5 are free to act, they will operate, throu h the plungers 4, to separate the driving an driven members, as in Fie. 5, so that the two sets of abutments will c ear eachother and the clutch will then be open or inoperative with the driven member at rest. Adjacent the hub 13 I mount on the sleeve 7 a cam-collar 15, secured on the sleeve by a set-screw 16, and havin a series of highiportions 17 alternating with owportions 18 on the end nearest the bearing 8, the opposite liat end of the collar resting against the adjacent face of the pulley-hub 13. Each high portion has a slight depression 17? formed in it, and the low portions are similarly concaved, so that one or the other may receive the lug or follower l1. (See Figs. 2 and 5.)

It will be manifest that when the cam- '4, so that the abutments t5 and 14 engage.

the cavity l7^ preventing any rot ativc move-` ment ol` the sleeve and attached parts while the clutch is closed or operative.

Now if' the cam 15 be turned far enough to bring thc next low portion 1N opposite the follower l1 the springs 5 will act through the plungers to separate the driving and driven members, placing the parts in the position shown in Fig. 5, opening or rendering inoperative the clutch.

I have provided novel means lor etl'ecting the rotative movement of the cam to reverse the condition of tbe clutch, whether operative or inoperative, it being manifest that a step-by-step rotation ot the cam in one and the same direction will alternately ell'ect opening and closing of the clutch.

A ratchet 19 is fixed on the sleeve 7 by a set-screw 2() at the right-hand side ot the bearing 8, the teeth of the ratchet corresponding in number to the high and low portions ofthe cam, eight teeth being shown by dotted lines in Fig. l.

()n the extreme right-hand end of the sleeve is secured acollar 2l, held in place by a set-screw 22, and between the collar and ratchet is mounted the hub 23 ot a pawl-carrier 24, having mounted upon it a pawl 25 to coperate with said ratchet, a spring2t being shown as arranged to direct the pawl into engagement with the ratchet-teeth, tbe hub 23 being loose upon the sleeve.

Referring to Fig. l, a weight 27 is shown Iumg upon the free end of the pawl-carrier to normally move the same into full-line position with a stop 28 on the hub 23 in engagement. with atixed abutment 29, (shown as a bar. rigidly secured to the bearing 8.)

A second stop 3() on the pawl-carrier hub is arranged to bring up against the opposite side oi said abutment to limit the operative stroke of the paWl-carrier, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1.

Any convenient means for operating said pawl-carrier may be employed, as a flexible member 3], Fig. l, carried up over one or more overhead guide-sheaves 32 and then down to a convenient position.

When theI pawl-carrier is moved trom full to dotted line position, Fig. 1, the pawl 25 engages a tooth oi and advances the ratchet 19 one step, and through the sleeve 7 the cam 15 is turned an equal amount. reversing the condition of the clutch,y whether operative or inoperative-that is, if the clutch was in operative condition the operative movement of the paWl-carrier reversed such condition, rendering the clutch inoperative, and vice versa, the high portions. 17 of the cam corresponding to an operative and the low portions 18 to an inoperative condition oi the clutch.

As soon as the pawl-carrier is released the weight 27 automatically resets it or returns it to'starting position, the pawl clicking over the ratchet into engagement with the next tooth.

'lhe cam l5 is cored out at l5", Fig. 3, to receive the reduced end l() of the bearing S while permitting the lateral movement of the cam toward and fromthe bearingdue tostepb v-step rotation ol'v said cam.

'lhe cam and its fixed follower. the pawl and ratchet, and the connecting-sleeves 7 constitute controlling means l'or the clutch, and the pawl-carrier is an actuator, and is so termed in the claims, to cli'ect the operation of the controlling means, the latter including said actuator.

It will be observed that the operative stroke or movement of the actuator is always in one direction to ett'ect either opening or closing ot the clutch, so that a colnmon movement otl said actuator serves to reverse the condition ofthe clutch.

At'ter the actuator has been operated it is automatically reset, as described, and when the next change in the condition ot the clutch is to be made the operative moven'ient of the actuator is repeated.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described nor to any particular means, mechanical or ot herwise, tor etl'ecting the operative movement of the actuator, for manifestly such movement may be accomplished automatically by mechanical means or it may be achieved manually.

Having described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

1. -The combination, in a clutch, of a rotatable, shaft having a driven member tast thereon, a cooperating driving member coaxially mounted Wit-l1 relation to the driven member and movable toward and from it, spring-acting means to separate said members, and controlling means for the clutch, including a rotatable cam, and an actuator to rotate the latter step by step, said actuator having a common movement in one direction to effect cooperation or disengagement of the driving and driven members, one forward step of the cam eti'ecting cooperation and the next forward step disengagement of' said members.

2. The combination, in a clutch, of a rotatable shaft havingl a driven member fast thereon, a cooperating driving member coaxially mounted withrelation to the driven member and movable toward and from it,

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abutments lonsaid members to enga e when the members are moved toward eac i other, spring-acting* means to separate said members, arid controlling means for the clutch, includin a rotatable cam, having alternating high an low portions, and a fixed coperating part, and appawl-and-ratchet mechanism to rotate'the vcam step 'by step in one direction, engagement of a high part of the cam with the fixed coperating part effecting clutch action, the spring-acting means sepater can be turned step by step, a cam fast on the sleeve, and a fixed part with which it cooperates, movement of the high parts of said cam into engagement with sail fixed parts effecting engagement of the driving anddriven members, while movement of the low parts of the cam into such posit-ion effects disengagement of said members.

4. The combination, in a clutch, of coaxially-arranged driving and driven members movable toward and from each other, springactinr means to separate the members, a rotatabe cam having alternating high and low portions, to govern the relative position of the clutch members; a fixed part with which the cam cooperates, and manually-operated means to rotate the cam step by step,in one direction, to bring successively a high or a low portion thereof into cooperation with said fixed part at each forward step of the cam and thereby render the clutch operative or inoperative.

5.` Thecombination, in a clutch, of coaxially-arranged drivin and driven members movable toward and from each other, springacting means to separate the members, a rotatable cam having alternating high and low portions, to govern the relative position of the clutch members, a bearing for the clutch, having a part to cooperate with the cam, manually-operated means to rotate the cam step'by step, to bring a high or a low portion thereof into coperation with said part on the bearing, and means to reset automatically saidi manually-operated means.

6. The combination, in a clutch, of coaxially-arranged driving and driven members, and means to effect coperation or disengagement thereof, said means including an actuator coaxially mounted with respect to said `members and having an angular move- `ment in one direction to render the clutch operative or inoperative, and means to effect automatically return movement `of the actuator to starting position after each actuation thereof.

7. The combination, in a clutch, of coaxially-arranged driving and driven members, and,means to effect cooperation or disengagement thereof, said means including an actuator coaxially mounted with respect to said members and having an angular movement in one direction to render the clutch operative or inoperative, means to effect automatically return movement of the actuator to starting position after each actuation thereof, and stops to limit such angular movement of the actuator.

8. The combinationfin a clutch, of coaxilally-arranged driving and driven members,

and means to vcontrol the act-ion of the clutch, said means including a pawland ratchet, an angularly-movable actuator therefor, stops to limit such movement, operative movement of said actuator in one direction reversing the condition ofthe clutch, whether operative or inoperative, and a device to effect automaticallyreturn movement of the actuator to starting lposition after operation thereof.

9. The combination, in a clutch mechanism, of a rotatable shaft, a driven member fast thereon, a cooperatingl driving member rotatably and longitudinally movable upon and with rela-tion to the shaft, and means to effect cooperation or disengagement of said members, said means including an automatically-reset actuator, operative movement of the actuator in one direction reversing the condition of the clutch, whether operative or inoperative` ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

' CHARLES HlRl).

Witnesses:

WALTER R. RAY, Bassin G. Riou.

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